Person of interest in dog case in protective custody

BY LISA ROGERSTimes Staff Writer

Published: Friday, December 28, 2012 at 3:18 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 28, 2012 at 3:19 p.m.

A man named as a person of interest in the case of Skip, a 9-year-old Dachshund believed to have been skinned alive, has been placed in protective custody while in jail on charges unrelated to the animal cruelty investigation, Sheriff Todd Entrekin said.

John Michael Smith, 33, was named as a person of interest by Gadsden police detectives in the investigation of the death of the Dachshund, which was found Dec. 10 in an alley behind a home on West Tuscaloosa Avenue in Alabama City.

The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office had warrants for Smith for a writ of arrest for non-payment of child support. Sheriff’s office investigators on Thursday received information that Smith was at a home on West Tuscaloosa Avenue and went to the house to make the arrest, Entrekin said.

Sheriff’s office Capt. Bob Vosbury said he and Deputy Kenneth Reagan went with investigators Jason Argo and Ben Greene to the residence, and could hear people running inside.

Vosbury said when they knocked on the door, the people inside said Smith was not there. However, investigators had information he might be hiding in the attic. After receiving permission to search, Argo and Greene found him hiding there, Vosbury said.

Once Smith was placed in the Etowah County Detention Center, Entrekin said word spread quickly that he was a person of interest in the dog investigation and threats were made against him.

The decision was made to place him in protective custody for his own safety, Entrekin said.

The Dachshund had been tied in the backyard of a residence and was there about 3 a.m. on Dec. 10, Gadsden Police Sgt. Mike Hooks said. It was found in the alley after daybreak.

Its remains were taken to a veterinarian, who determined the injuries were not done by animals and believed the dog to have been skinned alive, Hooks said.

Police detectives wanted to talk to Smith, who lives in the same neighborhood, and identified him as a person of interest. He is not named as a suspect, Gadsden Police Capt. Regina May said.

“He is someone we have wanted to talk to from the beginning,” she said. “With his cooperation, hopefully we can clear him. If he wasn’t involved in it, we want to eliminate him.”

May said that’s why they still are seeking information in the case, and a cash reward for information leading to an arrest continues to grow.

The police department had several requests from people wishing to contribute to the reward, May said, which was at $900 on Friday.

The interest in the animal cruelty case has prompted one woman to offer a reward for information leading to an arrest in an unrelated case of a dog burned alive in Gadsden this summer.

Officers were called about 5:53 p.m. July 28 to a residence on Abercrombie Street on a report someone had set a dog on fire. When officers arrived, they found a small garbage bag still smoldering, and the body of a small dog inside the bag.

May at the time said police believed the dog was alive when it was set on fire.

Anyone who has any information about either case is asked to contact the Gadsden Police detectives division at 256-549-4630, May at 256-549-4616 or police dispatch at 256-549-4500. For information about making a donation toward the reward, contact the records division at 256-549-4500.

<p>A man named as a person of interest in the case of Skip, a 9-year-old Dachshund believed to have been skinned alive, has been placed in protective custody while in jail on charges unrelated to the animal cruelty investigation, Sheriff Todd Entrekin said.</p><p>John Michael Smith, 33, was named as a person of interest by Gadsden police detectives in the investigation of the death of the Dachshund, which was found Dec. 10 in an alley behind a home on West Tuscaloosa Avenue in Alabama City.</p><p>The Etowah County Sheriff's Office had warrants for Smith for a writ of arrest for non-payment of child support. Sheriff's office investigators on Thursday received information that Smith was at a home on West Tuscaloosa Avenue and went to the house to make the arrest, Entrekin said.</p><p>Sheriff's office Capt. Bob Vosbury said he and Deputy Kenneth Reagan went with investigators Jason Argo and Ben Greene to the residence, and could hear people running inside.</p><p>Vosbury said when they knocked on the door, the people inside said Smith was not there. However, investigators had information he might be hiding in the attic. After receiving permission to search, Argo and Greene found him hiding there, Vosbury said.</p><p>Once Smith was placed in the Etowah County Detention Center, Entrekin said word spread quickly that he was a person of interest in the dog investigation and threats were made against him.</p><p>The decision was made to place him in protective custody for his own safety, Entrekin said.</p><p>The Dachshund had been tied in the backyard of a residence and was there about 3 a.m. on Dec. 10, Gadsden Police Sgt. Mike Hooks said. It was found in the alley after daybreak.</p><p>Its remains were taken to a veterinarian, who determined the injuries were not done by animals and believed the dog to have been skinned alive, Hooks said.</p><p>Police detectives wanted to talk to Smith, who lives in the same neighborhood, and identified him as a person of interest. He is not named as a suspect, Gadsden Police Capt. Regina May said.</p><p>“He is someone we have wanted to talk to from the beginning,” she said. “With his cooperation, hopefully we can clear him. If he wasn't involved in it, we want to eliminate him.”</p><p>May said that's why they still are seeking information in the case, and a cash reward for information leading to an arrest continues to grow.</p><p>The police department had several requests from people wishing to contribute to the reward, May said, which was at $900 on Friday.</p><p>The interest in the animal cruelty case has prompted one woman to offer a reward for information leading to an arrest in an unrelated case of a dog burned alive in Gadsden this summer.</p><p>Officers were called about 5:53 p.m. July 28 to a residence on Abercrombie Street on a report someone had set a dog on fire. When officers arrived, they found a small garbage bag still smoldering, and the body of a small dog inside the bag. </p><p>May at the time said police believed the dog was alive when it was set on fire. </p><p>Anyone who has any information about either case is asked to contact the Gadsden Police detectives division at 256-549-4630, May at 256-549-4616 or police dispatch at 256-549-4500. For information about making a donation toward the reward, contact the records division at 256-549-4500.</p>